


Relations

by Miss_Voltage



Category: Bleach
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-19
Updated: 2015-03-20
Packaged: 2018-03-18 16:33:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3576285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miss_Voltage/pseuds/Miss_Voltage
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>THIS IS AN UNFINISHED WORK. Please be aware that it is not concluded.</p><p>This is a multi-chapter Bleach fan fiction. It begins right before the Vizard arc and is heavily influenced by the manga. It is rated as explicit as there is some light sex in the later chapters.</p><p>Shinji knows Kisuke is up to something when he meets a boy with the reitsu of a Vizard, but what else is Kisuke hiding and just what will this new partnership bring for them?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Senses

This life… was listless.

If there was anything that could be said about Shinji, ‘listless’ was not normally one of his attributes. He was in love with so many facets of life. He could find interest in almost anything.

At least, that was how he used to be.

Day after day rolled by, the surrounding warehouse closing in on him just a little bit more. There was never anything to do. The fake training ground with its fake sun and fake rocks and horrible fakeness just wasn’t appealing. What did he need to train for anyway? There wasn’t any use for the damn thing anymore.

Venturing out into the human world he currently resided in just didn’t hold the appeal it once had. The Vizards had lived in the world of the living for a little over a century now, and they’d witnessed so much change in a race unlike their own. But war, fashion, music, and politics all seemed to be a stupid, surreal blur when time seemed to pass much too quickly for them. In the blink of an eye, it seemed like a decade had passed. Time flew by. It was endless, and it was torture.

Shinji wasn’t alone, either. The other Vizards gave him company, of course, but living with the same few people for a good century hardly seemed like company anymore. His hollow mostly stayed silent, having been mentally beaten into submission many, many years ago, but every now and then, the sick fuck popped up to make a few suggestions. 

What fun they could have. 

How things could be different.

And after awhile, those ideas started to become entertaining.

He almost went for them a few times.

Stretching slowly, the blonde pulled himself up off the couch, hands shoving fitfully into his pockets as he swaggered towards the door. No one bothered to ask where he was headed. Did it even matter? It wasn’t like he would or could get arrested, or that some unforeseeable evil force would appear out of nowhere and take him out. Shit like that just didn’t happen, and it didn’t look like Aizen would be popping up anytime soon either.

There was nothing like the real sunlight beaming down on him once he was outside the warehouse, outside the barrier. None of that shit made of reishi. This stuff was real, could tan and burn his pale, skin. Just like in the Soul Society.

He often thought too much as he walked down endless backroads, alley ways, through parks, and anywhere his legs would take him. He thought of living in the Soul Society again. There were times that he missed it. It was so different from this place. Even the air smelled different. Cherry blossoms always seemed to be abundant, and the comforting, surrounding reishi of his fellow soldiers was something he’d had to learn to live without. There would never be any going back for him. Even if things were to change, if they were to win this impending war…

Shinji stuttered and stopped dead in his tracks. He couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. There was a force, a spirit energy so powerful, that it stunted his senses for a moment. It was unlike anything he had ever felt before, and yet so terribly familiar at the same time. This was very bad. It felt like his own energy, the energy of a Vizard, but twice as powerful, yet dormant, as if its owner wasn’t aware of their own power yet.

His eyes lit suddenly on a head of bright orange hair, and he could only stand dumbfounded as a kid walked passed him, not seeming to notice him, or anyone else around them for that matter. Deep frown, broodingly handsome looks, and a heavy weight of sadness about him. Shinji watched the boy walk past him, unsure if this could really be happening. 

He hadn’t sensed Aizen; none of them had. There was no way that man had sneaked into the world of the living just to play with a random human boy, hopefully. As he watched the redhead walk on, not bothering to follow him or feel out his reitsu, he suddenly had a suspicion of what might have happened to this seemingly human boy.

There was only one other person able to create hollowfied souls in either this world or the next.

As the Vizards sat around eating their bento that night, Shinji felt restless. He needed to share the information he’d acquired with the others, but wasn’t quite sure how to approach it. They’d lived in peace, even with the looming threat of Aizen or being taken out by Soul Reaper captains, for a very long time. Shinji slouched further, trying to retrace his thoughts before he brought it up.

“Hey! Dickhead! I said pass the edamame!” 

He sneered over at Hiyori, her sneer even greater than his own, and rubbed his side where she’d elbowed him.

“Why do ya always have to do that? I would’ve passed ‘em if ya just asked nicely!”

“I did ask nicely, shit for brains!”

“Why ya little-“

“Shinji.” They both stopped and looked up as Kensei starred across the room with a dark look. “What is it that you’ve been wanting to share with us?”

The blonde man’s own expression hardened and they all sat forward listening intensely. This wasn’t a time for childish fights, but a discussion between soldiers.

“I ain’t sensed Aizen yet. None of us have.” They all nodded in agreement. “But today I saw a kid and he’s got it. He’s already hollowfied. Only thing is, he didn’t sense me. He doesn’t even seem to be aware of just what his level of power is. Its twice that of a captain.”

“So just what’re we planning on doing?” Love spoke up, unconsciously cracking his knuckles.

Shinji sighed for a moment. There were a few things he needed to discuss. “There’s two ways about this. We can either get him on our side, or just kill him. But there’s another problem. There are only two ways for a shinigami to become hollowified, and Aizen ain’t here. So that means…”

“That dick! I told ya he wasn’t good for shit!” Hiyori suddenly burst out, leaping up on her feet.

Everyone sighed and went back to eating. It looked like they owed Kisuke Urahara a visit.

+++++++++

By “they,” everyone obviously meant “Shinji,” the blonde grumbled to himself.

It wasn’t that most of them disliked Urahara, it was just that he was difficult to deal with. Kensei would have been all too business-like with the former captain, Lisa would have tried something kinky, and Hiyori would have flat out punched him before even greeting him.

He and Shinji seemed to get along just fine. They all owed their lives after hollowfication to this man, but there was still some blame against him. If he hadn’t created the hogyoku, they wouldn’t even be in this mess. But there was no time or pleasure for “what if”s.

Shinji strolled slowly to Urahara Shoten, the candy-shop front housing gadgets and documents pertaining to another world inside. Ignoring the two little kids working outside, he walked up to the porch, entering the small lobby.

“Yo, Tessai!”

“Its good to see you again, Hirako-san.” Shinji jumped and looked up at the tall man, nodding to him briefly. It had probably been a good forty years since they’d seen each other. It never bothered him how no one he knew seemed to age. Anyone he really gave a damn about anyways wasn’t human.

“Yea. Is he-“

“Waiting for you in the spare room. I’ll put some tea on.” Tessai bowed slightly and left the room, allowing Shinji to wander through the endless halls of the deceptively small store until he found who he was looking for. 

Kisuke sat at the kotetsu, smiling slyly as he fanned himself slowly. It was damn hot out today, his green top pulled open slightly to allow a bit of air in. He looked under his striped hat at his old comrade, eyes looking bright even as they assessed. “Well, well, if it isn’t my favorite blonde.”

“Tch.” Shinji sighed, folding long legs as he sat down at the low table. “Let’s just skip the formalities, ne?” He gave his friend a dark look. He didn’t feel the need to exchange pleasantries with this man right now. That could be done later. Maybe.

The shaggy-haired blonde lowered his fan, leaning forward as he returned with his own dark expression. “So you’ve felt it then?”

“I saw a boy in the park. Bright orange hair, angry expression, reitsu of a Vizard. Ringin’ any bells fer ya, Kisuke?”

The shopkeeper shrugged as Tessai came in, settling down a pot of tea and two steaming cups in front of them before retreating out of the room. Kisuke held the other man’s gaze for a few moments before deciding that he probably owed at least a little bit of a truthful explanation.

“He’s strong, Hirako-san. Maybe when he realizes and can harness his full potential, he’ll be stonger than you or I. Definitely not smarter or more cunning, but in brute strength, there is almost no comparison.”

Shinji rolled his eyes as if he had seen all of this coming. He’d always been suspicious that one day this man would toy with creatures of his kind again. He just hadn’t really expected it so soon… or had it really been over one hundred years? It was becoming hard to grasp it all, these days.

He looked away, pulling his knees up to his body, arms resting over them, quiet for a few minutes. Kisuke was right. If anyone knew Aizen, it was the two of them, and they both agreed that the man’s strength was unparalleled. If they had strength and intelligence on their side, they may just have a chance to win. It was still slim, however.

“Whatever. I just came over to make sure ya ain’t churnin’ Vizards off a factory line or somethin’. Its jest him, right?”

“Just him.” Kisuke smiled. “But you know, Hirako-san, you will play a part in training him. I can only do so much.”

Shinji leaned back on his hands, scowling. “And what if I don’t wanna?”

Kisuke flicked his fan open again, hiding a devilish smile behind it. “You love playing the part of senpai, Hirako-san. Don’t think I’ve forgotten how very sweet you were to a new young captain, once.”

Reaching for his tea, Shinji blushed heavily and looked away. “Shuttup, baka.”

 

TBC


	2. Surveilance

He knew when he returned to the warehouse, not only would he be pestered for information, but that it wouldn’t be a happy arrival. He’d been fairly receptive and understanding, Shinji thought, to Kisuke’s ideas, but that didn’t mean that everyone else would feel the same way. Even if Kisuke wasn’t a Vizard, they really were all in this together.

Shinji was let through the barrier, passing an annoyed Hiyori who followed him back to the communal room of the warehouse. Everyone seemed to be waiting for him, and he didn’t like the way many sets of eyes laid on him heavily. The news was serious.

Everyone watched Shinji intensely as he sat back on the couch, crossing an ankle over his knee as he seemed to think for a moment. After a minute, he sat forward, staring across the room at nothing as he spoke emotionlessly. He wasn’t really sure if he was on Kisuke’s side yet or not.

“Its true. He made that kid a Vizard.” No one gasped or shouted their outrage. They listened for more information, but the feeling of the room grew cold and dark. No one liked what they had heard.

“We shouldn’t jest kill him though.” Shinji started with a sigh. “Kisuke says he’s powerful. Way fuckin’ powerful, and from what I felt jest from the kid passin’ me, he’s definitely right. This kid could be our trump card.”

Rose smiled. “But there’s more, isn’t there?”

Shinji nodded, looking over at his comrade. “We have to help in his training. Kisuke is smart, and he’s a hell of a fighter, but he ain’t a Vizard. Apparently this kid doesn’t know the meaning of restraint when it comes to his shinigami powers, so training him to keep his hollow at bay is gonna be a task in itself. Its gonna take all of us fer this. So we gotta all be in it.”

Kensei stood up, pacing the room slowly. “Between the eight of us, it shouldn’t be too hard. But we have to all be in this together. If anyone’s feeling shady about this, right now is the time to back out.”

No one said anything. Shinji was a little surprised that they were all in agreement to do the work that was needed with a new one of their kind. It was dangerous, and any one of them could die trying. But if it meant a possible victory against Aizen, they would all do whatever they could. He looked over at Hiyori, the girl scowling and crossing her arms.

“I’ll do it. Just don’t make me go over there and have tea with dick-for-brains.”

+++++++

Even though they trusted Kisuke, the Vizards decided that they should keep an eye on him from now on just in case he decided to try making any more Vizards or fuck with the general laws of nature again. Maybe they didn’t really trust him all that much. It was more of a mutual tolerance. 

It was voted that Shinji seemed to get along with him the best, and much to the blonde’s dismay, he was chosen to be the one to watch over the shopkeeper. It was a job he would do grudgingly. It wasn’t that he didn’t like Kisuke or anything, he just knew it would be a waste of time. If the man was going to pull something, he was cunning and intelligent enough to pull it off despite anyone watching him even 24 hours a day. He was a genius.

He could have sat across the street from the shoten, up on the roof tops all day, just checking out the flow of Kisuke’s spiritual energy, but that wasn’t enough. It also would have been incredibly boring. At least, that was what he thought, for the hundredth time, while he stared across the street at the small shop, annoyed that he hadn’t gone in yet. He just wanted Kisuke to feel his presence and know that he was being watched.

When all the light in the sky had finally withdrawn, Shinji hopped down off the rooftop, landing softly on the pavement in his loafers. As he strolled up to the shop front, he wasn’t the least bit surprised to see the younger blonde come around the corner and lean lazily in the door way, a mocking smile on his face.

“I was beginning to wonder when you would be joining me inside.” 

Before Shinji could retort with a rude remark, Kisuke held his hand up to stop him. “Come inside and have a drink with me, ne? Its rude to let someone drink sake all by themselves.”

Well. If there was going to be sake, Shinji thought, he could get used to the guarding job.

It took quite a while for the sake to sink in, to melt their bones and leave them both with a heavy, pleasant feeling. This was a good buzz, no worries of the future or terrors of the past plaguing them. It was just a good feeling, something both men had needed. It broke up a bit of the monotony of doing the same activities (or lack thereof) with the same people all the time.

Kisuke smiled as he watched his comrade throw back another cup of sake, Shinji smiling slowly as his belly grew warmer with the pleasant plum-flavored rice wine.

“Why don’t we do this more often?” He asked, sincere smile on his own face and a soft blush of inebriation on his cheeks.

“Cus ya created a device that ruined my life and might destroy the world as we know it.”

As soon as the words left Shinji’s lips, they both paused. It was a harsh insult, and he hadn’t really meant for it to come out. He felt like a jackass.

“Sorry… That wasn’t cool. I didn’t mean it like that.”

Kisuke shrugged and waved him off, reaching across the table with the sake jug and refilling the older man’s cup. “Its alright, Hirako-san. If it weren’t for my apocalyptic invention and the discoveries and events that followed it, you would not be here, right now, sitting across the table from me and drinking in my company. It is, as always, truly a pleasure to see you.”

Shinji smiled slowly again, that wicked and disarming smile he had about him. He could have sworn that his friend blushed just the slightest bit, but it was most likely the alcohol.

They ended the night early, Kisuke showing his guest to a spare room where there was a futon rolled out and waiting for him. By the time Shinji had disrobed down to his boxer briefs and slid down onto his futon mat, he sighed heavily as he stared up at the ceiling. It wouldn’t be so bad watching shop keeper. But next time he had to keep his wits about him. There was something up Kisuke’s sleeve. He was sure of it.

The next morning, Shinji woke slowly. He felt good, not too hung over, and rather relaxed… until he felt like someone was watching him. He turned over and nearly jumped when he saw the shop keeper standing in the door, already dressed and smiling down at him.

“My, my. Did you know you drool in your sleep, Hirako-san?”

Shinji grimaced, pulling the bedsheet back over his head and giving an annoyed grunt.

“Ahh, either way, its time to get up. If you’ll be staying at my home, you’ll have a few chores to do.

This time, Shinji wished he had something to throw as he buried himself under the sheet even further. Tricky bastard.

Within the hour, he had freshened up and was getting into the change of clothes he’d brought himself. He would have to go back to the warehouse tonight and get more, at least enough for the week. He wondered just what kinds of things Kisuke would try to make him do around the shoten if he asked to wash his clothes there, too. Shinji shuddered to think of it.

He made his way down the hall to the living room, where a small plate of sushi and a hot mug of tea were already waiting for him. He was even allowed to eat in peace for all of five minutes before Kisuke slid into the room once again.

“As I said earlier I have a few things for you to do today, Hirako-san.”

Shinji finished chewing the sushi in his mouth, giving the other man a displeased look. “Its funny how ya can talk to me like a superior and tell me to do stuff fer ya at the same time.” He remarked sourly.

“Oh, don’t be like that!” Kisuke smiled while fanning himself, barely hiding an amused grin. “The chores are very simple. In fact, I only have one task for you, and you must be the one to do it, for I do not lack the skills.” He feigned sadness, sighing as he sat across the table from the older blonde.

“Whatdya got in mind?”

Kisuke lifted his tea, sipping it slowly. “I want you to follow that boy. Kurosaki Ichigo.”

Shinji looked suspicious. “I know ya ain’t stupid, so ya know you’re the one I’m supposed to be watchin’.” Even though there hadn’t been much to see, and he still felt it was a waste of his time. Not that there were many better things to do.

“It won’t be difficult. He won’t be able to detect your presence even in the slightest. I want you to follow him around until late tonight. You need to feel out his spiritual pressure when he’s at school, when he’s at rest, and when he goes out on patrol to kill hollows at night. You need to gauge his control on his hollow. I fear that its eating him from the inside, slowly tearing at his psyche, and that you and I may need to interfere far sooner than expected and teach him to control the hollow living inside of him.”

Shinji shrugged. He really wasn’t against killing this kid if he got out of control. It was just another casualty of war. But following him around didn’t seem like it was too difficult.

++++++++++++++++++++++++

When he’d thought that following around Kurosaki wouldn’t be too difficult, he’d been giving the boy far too much credit. It was almost boring. Shinji laid himself out in plain sight, and the boy didn’t even see him. He was tempted to even go up to the boy and try to strike up some conversation of small talk just to see if it would jolt the redhead into noticing their similiarities.

Nice weather today, ain’t it? Hey, did ya notice? We’ve both got hollows screaming inside our heads.

Yea. He wouldn’t sound like a crazy person at all.

He noticed that of all the kids in the school Kurosaki attended, the ones he seemed to hang around all had some sort of reitsu, ranging from large to just extra-sensory perception. There was even a Quincy that followed him around, which seemed rather odd. That boy didn’t have powers anymore but his natural energy was still laced with Quincy reitsu from his heritage. It was something he definitely wanted to keep an eye on, for amusement if nothing else.

For someone that Kisuke had made out to be so damn special, Shinji found the Kurosaki kid to be pretty boring. After school, he avoided his friends and walked home alone. The blonde Vizard perched himself right in the sky, not hidden from view and watched the kid do his homework. It was ridiculously boring, and he decided right then that, damn the consequences, he wouldn’t be doing this babysitting job again if Kisuke asked. Training he could do. This was crap. 

However, Kisuke had a point. Shinji noticed that every now and then, at the most random times, the boy’s reitsu would flare, his hollowfied self showing more than his shinigami self. It was true, he really was struggling to keep the animal inside at bay. That wasn’t good.

It got even worse at night. Shinji stayed just long enough for Ichigo to go on patrol at nearly one in the morning. He watched the boy fight against a low level hollow. He could easily see what kind of brute strength this young man held, but it was obvious that he was holding back, as if he were afraid of what he could really do. 

If this kid really was going to be their ace in the hole, they had a lot of work to do, and it wasn’t going to be easy.

He flashed stepped back to the shoten, wanting to get back to his borrowed futon as soon as possible. Of course, he wasn’t the least bit surprised to see Kisuke waiting up for him, standing in the door way to his room. He should have come in through the window. The shopkeeper grinned, leaning onto his cane and waiting for his information.

“Yer right, Kisuke. Yer kid is dense as hell and really fucked up. Its gonna be a lotta work. But fer now, just lemme sleep. We can figure it out in the morning.”

 

TBC


	3. Reveal

He was getting used to this routine now, practically living at the Shoten. Every day, he would either be tasked to go out and watch the Kurosaki kid, or he’d spend time with Kisuke talking strategy. They never talked of the good old days, the days before they were exiled from Soul Society. Those days weren’t entirely good anyway. They’d both dabbled in keeping a close eye on dangerous characters, trying to use them for the greater good. At least Kisuke’s pet project had ended up becoming captain of his former squad, though he used the position to annihilate the Quincy race. Shinji’s project… well, they weren’t looking forward to fighting him.

There was something about Kisuke that just made him want to open up. Shinji had taken a liking to the man even when he had just become the captain of the 12th division, but now he felt almost friendly with him, as though he could tell the man anything. He had to be careful what he revealed about himself, he felt. He didn’t think Kisuke would use the information maliciously, but it would definitely be put to use. Kisuke’s greatest strength, other than his ingenuity when it came to science, was his cunning. He thought outside of the box and explored options no one else could even recognize. 

Shinji was glad to have this man on his side, especially against someone like Aizen. There was a difference between Aizen and Kisuke, he thought. 

Aizen imagined he had the same smarts and cunning as Kisuke, when in reality, he was just a nutcase.

He wasn’t too fond of that Ichigo kid. It wasn’t that he disliked him – he didn’t even know the guy. He was just really not looking forward to all the work that was going to have to be done. This kid was like a hurricane, and they were only staring into the seemingly peaceful eye of the storm before the worst of it hit. Kisuke seemed to adore him though, always smiling, calling him Kurosaki-kun with a lilt in his voice. It made Shinji roll his eyes quite a bit.

“Hirako-san? Are you paying attention?” Urahara called out, waving his fan at the older blonde.

“Yea, yea. Ya said ya had something fer me to do again.” He drawled, leaning back on his hands at the kotetsu, waiting for the hot tea in front of him to cool as he came back to the conversation.

He watched as Kisuke rose and came back to the room with a paper bag, which was placed on the table in front of him before the shaggy blonde sat once more.

“I believe you’ll enjoy this task. Tomorrow you will enroll in Karakura high school and befriend our young Kurosaki-kun. You may be able to get him on your good side and have him join the Vizards, learning to control his hollow before it swallows him alive.”

“What part of that did ya think I’d enjoy?” Shinji asked sourly.

“The uniform. I took the liberty of retrieving you the standard shirt, tie, dress slackes, etc. for tomorrow. At no charge, of course.”

“Oh. Cool.” It was a pretty snazzy tie, at least.

“He takes kindly to his classmates and is quite popular, but only has a few true friends. Try to play nice with them, Hirako-san. Don’t chase the girls.”

“I wasn’t gonna! They chase me.” He grinned lasciviously and sipped his tea.

“Don’t we all?” Urahara shrugged, murmuring to himself.

++++++++++++

School was actually kind of fun. Of course, the last time Shinji attended school for real, he had barely paid attention to his classes at all. He’d passed with flying colors, but always felt it was a waste of his time to have to be there every day. The Shinigami Academy was very different from the school he was walking through now, Karakura high. However, Shinigami Academy was more like a military school.

These kids all seemed so care-free. They only had to learn basic human stuff, like math and languages. It was so simple, he thought. If only they knew of the world that was there to protect them in the afterlife, or of the creatures waiting to eat their souls. If only they knew of the impending war that they were about to be involved in without their knowledge.

It was all too easy to enter the school as a new student. He looked young and plain enough to pass for a high school student, Kisuke had assured him. And no one seemed to think anything of it at this school. He was just the new kid, Hirako Shinji. No special powers, no dark backstory. Just the new guy.

He was introduced to the new class, made the kids laugh, and scoped out some of the cute girls. But right away he had recognized that orange head of hair and the dangerously spiking reitsu. Of course, if the Kurosaki kid was worth anything at sensing others, he would have felt the Vizard coming for him. He didn’t even look up when Shinji was being introduced to the class.

Shinji made his way to the back of the room, smiling playfully at the open seat next to Kurosaki. The boy was out of it, not in the present moment, and from the way his reitsu was fluctuating, he could only guess that the kid was trying to block out his hollow.

“Hey there! I hope we can be friends.” Shinji smiled warmly, trying to break up the boy’s thoughts and get him to notice him.

Ichigo looked up at him suddenly. “Huh? Uh yea. Sure…” He tried, giving a bit of a fake smile back. Still, the boy wasn’t picking up anything. Shinji was just another student. This was so lame.

It was only minutes before Ichigo’s shinigami pass went off, signaling a hollow. Shinji didn’t look too surprised as the boy ran out of the room. He watched as a few of his friends followed, the ones he’d sensed weird spiritual pressure from. He noticed, however, that the Quincy had stayed in the classroom. That was probably a good thing. He didn’t have any powers, and would be a burden in the field because of it.

He waited until the end of the class to disappear from the school. It wasn’t hard to find the group of missing students, and even easier to stand above them in plain sight and listen in on their conversation. Apparently, Kurosaki was so thick-headed, he hadn’t even noticed his Quincy friend lacked power. It seemed to really bother him, more than it should. Shinji took note of it. When the time came for battle, this kid needed to be ready to fight, and fight as a soldier. He shouldn’t have worries or burdens that would distract him from battle.

He didn’t return to class, just going back to the Shoten. Urahara was waiting for him, and they sat outside on the steps, discussing what he’d seen that day.

“It’s true. The Quincy child no longer has any power, but his spirit is still obviously that of a Quincy. Kurosaki-kun is very protective of those around him, so it would make sense that he would worry about Ishida-kun.” Kisuke shrugged. “He isn’t a soldier, Hirako-san. He may have become a warrior, but he doesn’t have the training and military upbringing that you and I have. He is, after all, just a human boy.”

+++++++++++++++++++++

Ichigo laid in bed, staring at the ceiling. How long had it been now? Minutes or hours? He was fighting in his own mind, trying to block out the small whispers and louder rantings of his inner hollow. The creature was plaguing him, slowly driving him insane. What was worse, was that the hollow was right about almost everything he said.

It would be so much easier to just let go and give the creature total control. They would annihilate all their enemies easily. But then the hollow would swallow him whole, and Ichigo would only become a small subconscious personality. He knew if he let his guard down even a bit, struggled too hard while using his powers, the creature could come through and overtake him. He couldn’t have that happen, couldn’t risk it. What if he turned on his friends and attacked them? He wouldn’t put it past the hollow.

“Ya bet yer sorry ass I would turn on yer friends.” The hollow chuckled. “Maybe then ya’d finally get that one you’ve been obsessing over.”

Ichigo groaned and turned over in bed, throwing his pillow over his head as if it could drown out the voice in his head.

“Shut up. I’ll never let you have any of them. Especially not him.”

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Shinji watched as the boy finally got almost an hour of sleep before his pass went off again, signaling another hollow. This was going to be his chance to reveal himself and interfere.

He followed Kurosaki closely behind, watching him easily take out a low level hollow. It was too easy to sneak up on him, too easy to clash swords with him, and the look in the boy’s eyes as he realized who was attacking him was too good to miss.

“You’re… Hirako?! Is that a zanpakuto?!” He shouted, trying to push back Shinji’s offensive moves.

Shinji could tell, that even as Ichigo was easily blocking his attacks, he was holding back, still fighting in his own inner world as well as the one around him. 

“You and I are the same, Ichigo. I’ll show ya what we are.” White pieces of energy began to solidify around Shinji, forming into a mask as he pulled it down by his face. “Do ya get it now? A zanpakuto… and a hollow mask…”

Ichigo looked on in disbelief. He wasn’t sure what was going on. This guy had just attacked him for no reason, but he couldn’t help but want to listen to him for just a few minutes. There was someone else with a hollow mask?

“I thought I told ya; I hope we can become friends. Once you’ve crossed over into the world of the Vizards, there’s no going back for ya. Ya’ve gotta join with us.”

Unfortunately, he realized, that was the wrong thing to say. Instead of settling down and asking more questions, the boy just went off the edge, denying him, saying he’d never join their group and blah blah. Shinji rolled his eyes, annoyed. The boy was throwing off tremendous amounts of reitsu, too.

“Ya need to calm down, Ichigo. Yer gonna attract every hollow around with the way yer leakin’ yer spiritual pressure.”

“What do you mean-“

A loud, shrill scream tore out through the air, a hollow letting its presence be known several blocks over.

“See. I told ya, Ich… Hey! Where are ya going?!” Shinji yelled after the young substitute as he ran off in the direction of the hollow. He stood there shaking his head, sheathing his zanpakuto. This one was going to be hell to try and work with. But with time, Ichigo would have no choice but to seek out the other Vizards. He would need their help if he wanted to survive.

+++++++++++++++++

Shinji made his way back to the Shoten, exhausted. He couldn’t shut off his brain, though. As he crawled into his futon with a sigh, he thought back to when he had first had to learn to deal with the hollow inside of him. Bringing his own hollow to submission had been a bitch, but he had persevered claimed dominance over the creature, in turn helping his fellow Vizards defeat theirs.

“I’m still here, ya know, If ya miss me.” A voice spoke in his mind lightly.

“Not really. I’ll let ya know if I ever do, though.” He joked softly out loud, pulling up his blanket and heading into a deep sleep.

Hours later, Shinji sat up suddenly, covered in a cold sweat. He hadn’t had a nightmare like that in decades. He’d dreamt that he had fought his hollow. He swore he could still feel the bastard’s blade pierced through his stomach. It had all felt so agonizingly real. The blonde shook his head, trying to rid himself of the sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach.

He needed to help that Kurosaki kid. He was in deep, and he should not have to suffer the burden of living with a monster inside his head constantly trying to kill him.

Shinji threw the blanket off himself and stood, going to the washroom. He had another day of school to attend, and a young Vizard to try to save.

 

TBC


	4. Crushes

Ichigo didn’t seem to be too thrilled to see Shinji show up at school the next day. Instead of letting the blonde just blend in with the rest of his classmates and keep their tiff to themselves, he dragged Shinji out of the classroom and into one of the hallways, throwing him up against the wall.

“What the hell are you doing? Why are you still following me? I told you I wanted nothing to do with your group!” Ichigo shouted.

Shinji just sat there against the wall, sticking his pierced tongue out in annoyance. “Whatever.”

“I want you to leave me the hell alone! I have enough to worry about without-“

“What is it that yer worrying about, Ichigo?” Shinji suddenly interrupted. “Is it that hollow eating away at ya from the inside?” He watched as the boy’s eyes grew wide before dismissively looking to the side. “You have no choice but to join us Ichigo, not if you want to stay sane. Eventually, you’ll have to come to us. We’re the only ones that can teach you how to control him. Otherwise, you’ll be completely overtaken. He’ll kill everyone you love, and then we’ll be forced to kill you.”

Ichigo stuck his hands in his pockets, looking down at the ground. He knew what Shinji said was true, but he just didn’t want to accept it. There had to be a way to defeat his hollow on his own, without asking for help or burdening anyone else.

Shinji slowly stood. “I’ll be waiting fer ya. You’ll know where to find us when you finally decide to join us.” With that, he hopped over the railing and walked out of the school, leaving Ichigo to his thoughts.

The teen stood out there for a few more moments, composing himself before returning to class. He had a lot to think about, more than ever.

+++++++

Uryu Ishida stopped at the top of the staircase, looking behind him. “Why do you always follow me instead of just asking to come along, Kurosaki?”

Ichigo moved into view, rightly looking embarrassed. “I dunno. I guess its pretty stupid when you know I’m there, huh?” He walked over to the other teen, looking uncomfortable. “Can I… Could I come over?” He’d never really hung out with Uryu, and figured the boy still considered him somewhat of an enemy. But right now he really needed someone to talk to, and for some reason, Uryu seemed like the best bet.

The boy pushed up his glasses and sighed, walking once again. “I suppose so. Just stop following me. It gets annoying very quickly.”

++++++++++

“I finally met the poor bastard yesterday.” Shinji started, throwing back a cup of sake and enjoying the feeling of warmth slowly filling his body, making its way down to his stomach. He watched Kisuke refill both of their cups. He was filling the shopkeeper in on all that had happened in the last two days. He’d checked in with the Vizards, letting them know the situation, but no one had seen or heard from Ichigo. The kid had been unhappy, to put it lightly, about his predicament, but he sure was taking his sweet time thinking it all over. It would be inevitable that he came to the Vizards.

“It may seem tragic, Hirako-san, but he is our best bet. His efforts will not go unnoticed, nor do I believe that he will fall in battle. Of course, I cannot be sure of that. He is still just a young boy, and Aizen is a traitorous sociopath. Kurosaki-kun will just have to persevere through the cards he has been dealt, and we will help him along the way.”

Shinji shrugged, looking to the side. Something was always off about his comrade when he talked about the orange-haired teen. At first he’d thought the man pitied Ichigo for what had to be done to him and for his position, but that didn’t quite fit the bill. It was almost like admiration, or fascination. It really irked Shinji.

“Ne, Kisuke?” He looked lowly at the other blonde. “Ya got a soft spot or somethin’ fer this kid? Cus now would be a good time to let me in on that information.”

Typical response. Urahara fanned himself, hiding his expression and denial. “Of course not. Not in the way I’m sure you are thinking.”

Shinji snorted and slammed his sake cup down. “Ya know exactly what I’m fuckin’ thinking. You fucked this kid up, and turned him into a Vizard. Ya ain’t exactly pitying him. Yer feelin’ something for him. He’s just a fuckin’ kid, for Christ sakes, Kisuke. I can’t have ya chasin’ after some kid when we’re at fuckin’ war and he’s our trump card!”

“Hirako-san, that’s not what’s happening-“

“Don’t fuckin’ lie to me.” Shinji growled, looking angrily at his comrade. “Yer makin’ me stay here and help ya out with all this stupid shit, so I can follow around some kid you’ve got a grade-school crush on!”

“Just what is it that you think I’m doing?” Kisuke asked lowly, setting down the fan with his own dark look.

“Yer waisting my fuckin’ time is what yer doin’.” Shinji didn’t really care anymore. He was heated. He didn’t want to be a part of this plan if it involved passing love notes.

“Has it ever occurred to you, Hirako-san, that perhaps I just want to protect my investment?”

“Bullshit!” Shinji screamed, rising up on his knees and leaning across the table to point his finger in the other’s face. “All ya talk about is him, your precious Kurosaki-kun. He ain’t got the slightest idea of what’s goin’ on here!”

Kisuke leaned forward, not about to back down from an argument. “ What exactly is going on here? Kurosaki-kun does not interest me outside of use for this war.”

“Then why am I here? Every fuckin day for weeks now!”

“Because I want you here with me.” Kisuke replied simply, not shying away from brown eyes returning a shocked look to him.

Shinji just sat there, shaking his head. “What?”

“Didn’t you ever wonder why I spent so much time with you when you were here? Why I allowed you to do your surveillance on me?”

“I figured you were hiding something but I didn’t think…” 

Kisuke chuckled lowly, sighing as he poured himself another cup of sake and threw it back. “That ‘grade-school crush’, as you put it so poignantly, was for you, not Kurosaki-kun.”

Shinji stopped shaking his head and just smiled, looking up at the shaggy blonde as his smiled turned just a bit devious. “Oh yea? How long have ya had the hots fer me, Kisuke?”

There was a bit of a blush on the shopkeeper’s cheeks, not for having confessed a secret, but that grin of Shinji’s… it just did things to him, to anyone it was turned upon. Still, he wasn’t being rejected really. “Since that day you came to visit a young captain and give him a piece of advice. You’re very charismatic, Hirako-san.”

“Don’t ya think ya could call me Shinji, considering all this?”

“I suppose I could do that. But I also see that we’ve drained another bottle of sake, and I doubt you would be opposed to grabbing a few more.”

Shinji gave him a nod and stood, hands in his pockets as his eyes raked over his comrade in a different light now. “Sure. I’ll help ya carry ‘em.”

++++++++

“Why didn’t you tell us? Why didn’t you warn us?! You should have told someone even before we went to the Soul Society.” Uryu chastised.

Ichigo sat on the other side of the couch, rubbing the back of his neck in and frowning. “I don’t know. I didn’t realize what had happened until it was too late, I guess. It’s not like this is an everyday thing! No one prepared me for this. I didn’t even know this could happen, until recently.”

Uryu leaned back. “And there are more of… you? We both know I can sense spiritual pressure easily, but I’d have to be an idiot not realize every time we get a ‘new student’ in class that they always have something to do with you. It’s that boy, Hirako, isn’t it?”

“Yea.” Ichigo sighed. “He wants me to join this group he’s part of, calls us Vizards. He said they’re the only people that can help me, or else I’m going to go crazy and the hollow will take over.”

He watched Uryu frown, seeming to take it all in for a few minutes before he spoke quietly. “Why are you telling all of this to me, out of everyone?”

Ichigo licked his lips, letting out a large sigh as he leaned forward, closer to the other teen. “Because out of the all of us, including Chad and Orihime, you’re the smartest. You’re the one that would know what to do. You’re the one that… I care about the most.”

Uryu didn’t think. He didn’t take it all in and try to make a rational decision. He simply leaned in, capturing the redhead’s lips and kissing then softly. He’d wanted Ichigo for so long, looked up to the boy, despite that he was a shinigami and now a Vizard, both things he should hate. How could anyone not want this strong, handsome, loyal boy? Did Ichigo maybe feel just a little bit of the same way?

Ichigo suddenly pulled back from the kiss, looking shocked.

“I… I can’t do this.” He pushed back away from Uryu, going so far as to get off the couch and take a step back.

Uryu frowned, looking crestfallen. “Is it because I’m male?” He didn’t know if Ichigo liked guys or girls, but for a second he hadn’t thought of that, acting irrationally and giving into his urges. How stupid.

“No! It isn’t that at all.” Ichigo protested, though he didn’t move any closer to the couch or Uryu. He seemed to want to keep a distance from the boy.

“Then what is it? Is there someone else?” Uryu looked up, fiercely determined to know why he wasn’t good enough for Ichigo.

“I can’t… because of the hollow.” Ichigo admitted. “Lately, every time I think about you, get near you even, he goes crazy. He wants you. When you kissed me just now, he tried to come out. He tried to take over. I can’t let him. I can’t let him have me, and I sure as hell won’t let him have you.”

Ichigo back up further, standing beside the door, a sad but determined look on his face. “I need to leave before he tries it again. I’ll get control over him, Uryu. I won’t let him have you.”

 

TBC


	5. Hollows

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note that a small part of this chapter borrows heavily from the manga so as to get the events right. Having said that, its only about two paragraphs.

Ichigo didn’t go to school that day. Even as Karin banged on his door that morning, telling him to get his “lazy ass” up or he would be late, he didn’t reply. He’d been up all night, thinking about everything that was going on. 

Shinji had been right. The only way he was going to put his hollow into submission and not have to worry about the creature claiming him was to train with the Vizards. Even he knew that the rogue group, which he knew very little about, were the only ones that could help him. It wasn’t as if this was a fairly normal problem for a shinigami… not that a human teenage boy being a shinigami in the first place was even close to normal. 

Something told him that he needed to keep this as much of a secret from his shinigami friends as possible. Shinji had said that once he’d crossed over into the realm of the Vizards, there was no going back. He didn’t think the Soul Society would think too kindly of a half-breed of his nature. In all honesty, he would probably be executed on the spot. Briefly, he wondered if Byakuya Kuchiki had mentioned anything to anyone about what had happened during their battle – that his opponent had been over taken by an extremely powerful entity. He doubted it, however. Byakuya had too much pride.

Ichigo rubbed the back of his head, scratching through his orange hair as he slowly sat up in bed. Everyone was out of the house, so he would be left with peace while he got ready this morning. Letting his thoughts continue to run as he took a quick, hot shower only confirmed what he needed to do.

Yesterday had been too close. The second he had gotten near Uryu, he felt his hollow erupt. The creature had never tried so hard in a non-battle situation to try and come out. That thing wanted Uryu, and there was no chance in Hell that Ichigo would let it have him. Uryu was his friend, and something more. He’d always wanted the Quincy, ever since they had fought the Menos together. It was just an attraction that grew until he couldn’t deny it anymore. But he had to deny himself the pleasure of entertaining any thoughts of it now. He couldn’t let the hollow get the better of him.

Ichigo pulled on his boxers, grabbing a random pair of jeans and a t-shirt to throw on as well. Finding the Vizard hideout would be slightly difficult, for him, if only because he didn’t have finely attuned senses to spiritual pressure. Once he was outside and began to walk, however, he could sense them faintly. It was as though they knew he was coming to them.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Shinji didn’t attend school that morning, either. He knew Ichigo wouldn’t be there. Instead, he returned to his home in the warehouse, getting a change of clothes and meeting the other Vizards in their common room. He was sure today would be the day Ichigo would finally seek their assistance. He asked Hachi to remove the barrier around the warehouse, just for today. Ichigo wouldn’t be able to find them with the barrier up, nor would he be able to enter their grounds. They each had to unmask their spiritual energy in hopes that the boy would pick up on something.

He leaned back on the large rock in the center of the warehouse, fingers sliding down his white silk tie and playing with it idly. He could feel a large booming presence coming towards them, even though it was over a mile away. The kid just didn’t know how to control his energy in the way he needed to. They’d probably have to teach him how to hide that as well. Someone with the energy of a Vizard did not need to be walking around easily detectable. They would attract high-level hollows and shinigami, alike, perhaps even arrancar. In the end, to a Vizard, they were all enemies. 

He wasn’t sure how he felt about Ichigo. He didn’t really have it in him to sympathize with the boy, but her certainly empathized. He’d been there, fighting an internal monster in the hopes that he could reclaim his self and his sanity. Kisuke had tried to save them, tried to reverse the hollowfication with the hogyoku, but in the end, the hogyuku willed them to become complete Vizards and their fate was sealed.

Shinji had had enough time go by that he was no longer bitter about what had happened to them and had learned to accept and embrace his powers. He hadn’t used any of his power in a long damn time, but soon, he would train the Vizard boy, and shortly after that, Aizen would show himself. His own trump card on Aizen was that the bastard didn’t know what his zanpakuto could do, but even a big reveal like that would probably not be enough to stop Aizen. They really would need Ichigo, and his strength.

“Welcome, Ichigo.” He purred, almost with a laugh, as he watched the boy walk into the warehouse, a deep scowl on the young man’s features.

The other Vizards flash-stepped to the rock surfaces surrounding him, looking down on the boy they were supposed to train. He looked just like any other boy, but they could all feel the immense strength and murderous reitsu of his hollow bubbling just below the surface. It was a little startling.

“Teach me what I need to know.” Ichigo demanded, grounding himself to the floor and refusing to move.

“Come and join us, Ichigo. Then we will teach you everything you need to learn, and how to control that hollow inside of you.” Shinji smiled down at him with an out-stretched hand.

“Never. I’m just going to use you until I get what I want. I’ll beat it out of you!”

Ichigo flashed forward, his human body dropping to the ground as his shinigami self sprang to action, aiming for Shinji. The blonde Vizard met him half way, swords clashing as Shinji fought him with a bored look.

It wasn’t until Hiyori took over that Ichigo really fought. He seemed to understand that Hiyori was a very serious threat, and that she, and her hollow, would kill him if his power wasn’t deemed worthy of their help and their training. 

Once he tried to really defeat her, he couldn’t hold it back anymore. He didn’t even try to summon his bankai. His hollow came out and took him over without hardly any struggle, smashing into the small girl and crushing her against the wall. He watched his own hand wrap around her throat, choking her to death. He couldn’t stop himself, no matter how hard he tried, and inside, he was terrified. The relief he felt when the other Vizard stepped in and broke his hollow mask, sending him back to his shinigami self, was unreal. He couldn’t imagine how anyone could ever control a hollow inside themselves.

“You pass. We’ll teach you control. You’ll learn how to deal with that hollow inside of you.” Shinji remarked coldly as he walked away.

+++++++++++

Kisuke stepped out into the hot sun, sitting down on the front porch as the children swept the inside of the shop. Even though it was a warm, beautiful, sunny day, it felt dreary. He was so… so bored. Shinji had updated him to let him know that Ichigo had begun training with them, and that tomorrow he would enter their training grounds and fight his hollow for control whilst fighting against the other Vizards.

He smiled a bit, sighing as he rested his arm upon his knee, cheek in hand.

“If only he would stop by again today.” Kisuke mumbled to himself. “It’s rather fun to mess with that one.”

+++++++++++++++++++++

Ishida struggled in his sleep, shifting side to side. He was so uncomfortable, the feeling of a weight pressing down on his entire body pulling him from a deep sleep. The pressure grew and grew until he was gasping for breath, suddenly sitting up and clutching his chest as he struggled to breathe. The pressure began to subside as he heard a soft, dark chuckle from his window.

He turned and looked where the noise was coming from. It was dark in his room, and at first he thought it was Ichigo that had come in through the window. He had been right, almost. As the figure moved its head to the side, its face caught in the moonlight—or rather, its mask. It was Ichigo with a partial hollow mask over his face and the voice that was still chuckling sounded nothing like the boy Uryu knew. It sounded like a demon’s voice. His eyes… they were unlike anything Ishida had ever seen.

“I can see why he likes ya so much.” The hollow laughed.

Uryu didn’t have the time to act scared. He was too startled and confused. Had Ichigo lost complete control, or only momentarily, and the hollow had sought him out? Either way, he was extremely wary of the creature. Ichigo had said the hollow wanted him.

“What do you want with me?” Ishida asked brusquely, voice unwavering.

“Me?” The hollow cackled. “I ain’t the one that wants ya, not exactly. It’s the King that wants ya, and he’s driving me crazy.”

Ishida returned an unimpressed glance. “You’re already crazy, you damned hollow.”

“Heheh. Oh Quincy,” The hollow cackled. “You may think you’re right about that, like every other thing you say, but this is a different kind of crazy. It’s something that a hollow can only feel inside the conscience of a being, such as your human friend. He’s driven me crazy with lust, and every thought he has of you, projects in front of me just as clearly. All those dirty little things King thinks about doing to you, he plays them out in his mind and I get to watch in vivid detail.” 

Ishida was wide eyed. He didn’t know what was more shocking - that Ichigo had been thinking about him in an explicit way, or that the hollow was thinking the same things. The hollow may have been an unwilling viewer to Ichigo’s fantasies, but he was a dangerous being and unlike Ichigo, he could use the information in a twisted manner.

“How are you doing this? Did Ichigo lose control?” Ishida questioned, trying to change the subject. He was concerned about Ichigo, and that the hollow may have harmed people once he gained control.

The hollow shrugged, still grinning. “Sometimes when King is asleep, I can take over. I run around the town sometimes. Gotta stretch my legs, ya know? By morning, I go back and King has the reigns again.” He watched Ishida struggle to take it all in. The Quincy was pretty, and he wanted to take out his new lustful needs on him, but he had a feeling that the boy would go and tattle on him to King and then he’d have an even harder time getting out. He licked his lips. Just watching the Quincy was fodder for his own fantasies. 

The hollow turned on the window ledge, ready to depart from this quaint meeting. “King calls me Shiro. You should remember that, Uryu Ishida. I’ll be visiting you again.”

“But why?” Ishida called from the bed.

“I bet you’ll be a freak in bed once King gets your panties off.” The hollow grinned maniacally. 

“What?” Ishida nearly squealed in surprise.

The hollow jumped off the window sill. “See ya!” Ishida was left to his thoughts. He laid back down in bed, but was too disturbed to fall back to sleep yet. He wasn’t sure if he should bring this up to Ichigo; it was clear his friend’s psyche was already fragile enough. He just needed to think on it for now- and to think about what he would say when “Shiro” came back.

+++++++++++++++++

Shinji pulled Ichigo aside as they entered the underground training facility. Hachi was setting up barriers and Kensei was giving orders. Lisa was on duty first, then Kensei, then Mashiro, and so on. They would each fight Ichigo’s full hollow transformation as the boy fought the hollow in his own mind, all under a protective barrier. With any luck, Ichigo would win, and then they wouldn’t have to kill him.

“Where did you go last night?” Shinji asked in a low voice, a serious expression on his face.

Ichigo gave him a confused look, pulling out of the blonde’s grasp. “Where did I go? I haven’t been anywhere in three days. I fell asleep on the couch like usual when you guys all went to your rooms. What are you talking about?”

Shinji frowned, looking away and shoving his hands in his pockets. “I’ve been coming out to check on you each night, and last night you were gone for almost an hour. The funny thing is, your spiritual pressure was practically residual. I could only tell that you were in Karakura, a few miles from here. I didn’t follow you because I didn’t want to irritate or start a confrontation with… your hollow.” He sighed heavily. “You need to learn to control him. Today. If he can get out when you’re simply asleep, he’s too damned dangerous. I don’t know where he went last night or what he did, but that simply can’t happen again. It’s too dangerous, Ichigo.”

The teen grunted, angry at himself. How could he be so weak that his hollow could take over while he was sleeping? He was scared, scared out of his mind, and not for himself. He had a pretty good idea where Shiro might have gone.

He would get control of his hollow right now, and if he didn’t die in the process, when he was finished, he would find Ishida and make sure he was okay. He hoped the hollow didn’t do anything to him, but he was just as worried about what the hollow might have said.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ichigo gained dominance over his hollow. It wasn’t nearly as simple as it sounded, and the internal and external struggles of the boy where horrific, but that’s what happened. The hollowfied monster he had turned into cracked, leaving him the visage of a true Vizard. He didn’t have the amount of control that say, Rose did, but he had come out on top. Hopefully, the hollow would no longer ever be able to gain control over Ichigo and the boy would always hold the reigns.

The Vizard returned to his human home with his human family, and for a few days, all felt right in the world again. Ichigo returned to school. He saw his friends, and Ishida. One look between them spoke mountains of information, and they never talked about the incident with Shiro. It was enough that Ishida was alive and unharmed, and that Ichigo had control again.

Shinji felt it was time to return to Kisuke’s place and update him on how things had been progressing. He was a little excited to tell his friend about Ichigo’s progress. He had seen it first hand – the boy was damn strong, and his power was still growing unbelievably. There was plenty to report to Kisuke and truthfully… He kind of wanted to see the man again. The last time they were together, pleasantly shitfaced in each other’s company, he had learned that his long-time comrade had a bit of a crush on him. Knowledge like that was priceless to Shinji, and it made him grin just to think about it.

Kisuke was a good looking man, and Shinji admired his talent, loyalty, and extreme intelligence. He would be a liar to say he wasn’t somewhat attracted to the younger blonde. He wanted to spend time with him just shooting the shit. He wanted to get drunk with him again. And he wanted to find out just how good of a kisser the man was.

He showed up on the door step of the shoten in a blue button-down shirt, with black pants and an argyle tie. He felt, as always, that he looked pretty good, and was eager to see his old friend hide behind his fan as he blushed. Walking into the store front, Kisuke was already waiting for him, a bored smile on his face as he pointed to the floor.

“Grab those two jugs of sake and we’ll discuss our plans in the back room.”

Shinji eagerly did as he was told-Kisuke always had good sake-and brought the jugs with him as they walked to the back of the store. They sat at the kotetsu, and Shinji sat adjacent to his friend, a lascivious grin on his lips. “Missed me yet, Kisuke?”

The shopkeeper lashed his fan out to the side and slapped Shinji in the shoulder with it. “No need to be rude. I certainly don’t miss someone who talks in their sleep loud enough for me to hear down the hall, especially when you have such interesting conversations with your hollow.” Kisuke grinned, hiding his secrets.

Shinji frowned, rubbing his shoulder and put on a sour look. “That ain’t my fault. Just admit ya missed me and get trashed with me, ne?”

“I have no objections to that.” Kisuke smiled.

Three hours later, Shinji was drunk. He wasn’t that stumbling, make-bad-decisions kind of drunk, but he felt fantastic. And from the way Kisuke was leaning on the table, fan long forgotten, hat on the floor, and slowly draining the last of the sake, the man looked to be feeling the same way. He also looked just as fantastic as Shinji felt, and now was certainly the best time to bring up what they’d been trying to pretend wasn’t the reason they were sitting so closely.

“Ya drunk enough to screw me yet, Kisuke?” Shinji chuckled, leaning forward.

Kisuke sat up straight abruptly. He frowned for a moment, holding up his hand as if to say something before dropping it. “No,” He simply replied.

Shinji looked a little hurt. He thought this would be easier. He really just wanted to mess around with Kisuke, have a good time, see where this might go. Of course, he thought starting out with sex would be the best way about it. Was he not as attractive to Kisuke as he thought he had been? Did the man need to be plastered to take him? 

“Yea? Why’s that?”

Kisuke grinned, leaning back on his elbows, almost laying down, and looking up at Shinji with something that was certainly lustful in his gaze. “Because when that happens, I want to be sober enough to remember every detail.”

With a renewed smirk on his face, Shinji shifted up onto his hands and knees, crawling forward the little way to Kisuke and looming over him. “Oh yea? Looks like we’re gonna have to plan ahead fer that one. We ain’t gonna do anymore drinkin’ tonight.” He leaned down, kissing the other man’s neck softly, moving from his adam’s apple to up under his ear. He whispered huskily into it, “I want ya, Kisuke.”

Kisuke could have asked what brought this on, or how long Shinji had felt this way, or anything at all. Instead he went with his heart, grabbing Shinji by the back of his neck and pulling him towards his lips. He pulled Shinji down to the floor with him as their lips met, slow and hungry. He sighed as his lips fit against Shinji’s, kissing him slowly over and over, getting a feel for his mouth.

Shinji leaned down on his elbows over Kisuke, shifting his legs and hips until he was straddled over the younger man. He licked his lips, feeling the other man’s mouth open in response, and his curious tongue slid into Kisuke’s mouth, smoothing over the other tongue he found there. He moaned in arousal, slowly bucking his hips down against his friend’s, letting Kisuke feel his body and know that he truly did want this. 

One of Kisuke’s hands slid from the back of his neck and down to his hip, pulling him down again. Kisuke was just as aroused, and while he wasn’t feeling that he wanted to go back on what he said earlier and sleep with Shinji, he definitely wanted to feel the thin blonde against him. Shinji smelled so good, like jasmine, and he buried his nose in that straight blonde hair as Shinji went back to kissing his neck, biting at it lightly. Their bodies began to buck against each other, a continuously slow rhythm with increasing friction.

Shinji’s tongue trailed across a teasingly exposed clavicle, nibbling it along the way. He dipped the smooth muscle between Kisuke’s pectorals. He was slowly losing control of himself, and bit down into one of the broad muscles, earning the most delicious moan from the man beneath him. With renewed fervor, he ground his arousal down against Kisuke again, looking up at him with fiery brown eyes.

Kisuke reached up, and gently pulled Shinji down to him, kissing him slowly and softly, extinguishing some of the heat growing between them. He kissed Shinji’s cheek, nudging his neck with his nose. 

“Come to bed with me. I’m far too drunk to continue this without becoming a sloppily intoxicated lover, and I want to show you a better side of me than that.” He whispered.

Shinji sighed, trying to calm his rushing blood and pulled up to sit on Kisuke. He just grinned. He was happy enough with what they’d begun, especially since he knew they would continue this in the future. “Are we gonna drunkenly cuddle or somethin’?”

“Probably.” Kisuke chuckled, sitting up and wrapping his arms around Shinji’s waist. “I was thinking you could spoon me.”

Shinji stuck out his tongue. “Fuck you. I’m the little spoon.”

 

TBC


	6. Trust

Kisuke was the first to wake. Usually in the morning, his eyes would open slowly as he groaned and dragged himself out of bed, sleepily making his way into the kitchen where Tessai would already be at work , grinding coffee beans for their coffee press— and Tessai really did make the most fragrant, delicious coffee.

This morning was different. He opened his eyes, laying flat on his back, and stared up at the ceiling. He wasn’t really hung over from the night before, only dehydrated. As KIsuke realized there was a warm, nude body laying at his side, a rush of contentment overrode any other feeling he might have had.

He turned slowly to the side, trying not to wake Shinji. The older blonde was laying on his side, facing Kisuke, and sleeping peacefully. His breathing was slow and even, his chest rising ever so slightly with each inhale and exhale.

Thick, straight locks of blonde hair fanned out on a crisp white pillow, as far as the short hair could reach. Kisuke reached over tentatively, stroking Shinji’s hair back down against his head, his rough fingers trailing gently across the other’s cheek.

Shinji was unquestionably beautiful. The man probably would have preferred the term “handsome” instead, but Kisuke thought he was all of the above. He had a leanly muscled body, a good fashion sense, and intensely dark eyes. It almost saddened Kisuke that the man had cut off most of his beautiful golden locks shortly after his exile to the world of the living, but the pageboy haircut Shinji wore certainly worked for him.

Kisuke smiled to himself. There was plenty of temptation to remove the sheets they were laying under on his western-style bed and to gaze more thoroughly upon the rest of Shinji’s body, but he knew when the timing was right, he would be given free-reign to look at any part of Shinji that he wanted. He would even be allowed to touch him. The thought excited him. He’d lusted after this man for so long, and in truth, it was more than lust. He respected and admired Shinji for everything he was, even when he had a stubborn, bitchy attitude.

Shinji began to wake, his eyes slowly fluttering open. He searched the room for a moment before locking eyes with Kisuke right in front of him. The shopkeeper looked so content, and it warmed his heart. Without a single thought, Shinji leaned forward and pressed his lips to Kisuke’s, initiating a slow kiss. He was sure they probably both had terrible breath from the night before, but it didn’t matter. Pulling back, Shinji settled down into the sheets, smiling softly instead of his usual devilish grin.

“G’mornin’.”

Kisuke smiled, letting his hand slide down from Shinji’s cheek to rest around his slim waist. The other’s skin was soft and warm underneath his palm, and he couldn’t fight the urge to press his body closer to Shinji’s, until they were touching. His head dipped down and he kissed Shinji’s neck with a smile.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Never better. May not even get outta yer bed.” Shinji grinned, stretching with a yawn.

Kisuke laughed softly, genuinely humored. “My, my, what would people think if they saw that I had a naked, beautiful blonde in my bed?”

Shinji grinned, propping up on one elbow and leaning over Kisuke, brushing their lips together. “They’d probably wonder why you ain’t hittin’ it yet.”

He rolled over, straddling Kisuke in the bed and pressing their lips more firmly together. They continued to kiss slowly and softly, the restraint each of them held amping up their libidos in record time. The pair was panting softly when Shinji finally broke the kiss, looking down at Kisuke with a sultry smirk.

“Ya know, yer a pretty good kisser, for an old man.”

“You’re quite easy to please, for an even older man.” Kisuke retorted with a chuckle, taking Shinji by the hips and pulling him close. “Then again, I can’t say that I want to wait much longer to show you all the little ways I’ve dreamt of pleasing you.”

Shinji’s brow rose inquisitively, and he ground his ass back against the younger man’s now unmistakable case of morning wood. “Looks like we’ve gotta make a date. I gotta do some shit today with Ichigo, but I’m free tonight, if you feel like making it a late night.”

Kisuke smiled. “Consider it done. I’ll be sure to pick up some condoms while you’re out.”

“Condoms?” Shinji rolled off of Kisuke with a long, hard laugh. “What do you need condoms for? Ya don’t trust me?” He asked with mirth in his eyes, looking back over at Kisuke.

Kisuke shrugged his shoulders and smiled. “To be honest, I don’t really enjoy them. I just thought I would make the offer.” He looked back up at the ceiling with a sigh. “I trust you with my body. I’m not worried about that. We’re nakama. I suppose that means I should trust you with everything.”

Shinji looked at him sideways, reading into the unspoken sentiments. “But ya don’t.”

“No.” Kisuke replied softly.

“What don’t ya trust me with? After a hundred years, what is it ya can’t let me take care of?” Shinji pried, a slight edge of irritation in his voice.

Kisuke looked over at him again, a sad grin on his features. “I don’t trust you with my heart, Shinji. If anyone could shatter it, it would be you.”

Shinji’s gaze softened and curled his body against the other man’s with a sigh. “Yea, I can get that. I haven’t exactly lived the most chaste life.”

They sat in silence for several minutes, not an uncomfortable silence, but one during which they were both in heavy thought. Shinji finally moved, getting up from the bed and dressing himself. Once he had his boxer briefs and pants on, he turned back to look at Kisuke, smiling. He crawled back onto the bed, looming over him.

“Jest forget about condoms and sex and all that. Just let me show ya a good time tonight, and that I ain’t gonna break yer heart. If there’s anyone I’m willing to take it slow with, its you. Ya ain’t one to fuck and forget. Yer somethin’ else, Kisuke. You’ve always been.”

Kisuke blushed, wishing he had his fan to hide behind, but returned Shinji’s smile. “I think I can live with that.”

Shinji rolled off the bed, grabbing up his shirt and buttoning it to the top. “Now I gotta go fight some idiot kid ya sent me so he can save the world or whatever. Ya better hope he doesn’t try to fuck me up, cus I ain’t gonna be much fun later if he does.”

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ichigo did fuck him up. A little bit.

Shinji was a well-trained fighter, and it was his instincts and cunning abilities as a fighter and strategist that had given him the rank of captain in the gotei 13. Compared to Shinji, or even most fighters, Ichigo was a novice, a child trying to fill a man’s shoes—and the truth wasn’t too far from that.

What Ichigo had that the other’s lacked was brute strength. Even in shinigami form, he was still such a massive force that the Vizards had to hollowfy just to be able to block his getsuga. It was almost a relief that while they were training him, he could only form his mask and hollowfy for about ten seconds. Those ten seconds were frightening. If the Vizards hadn’t been trained super soldiers, they would have barely made it out alive with their heads still intact after fighting Ichigo.

Shinji watched from the sidelines, Hachi healing his bruised ribs, two of which were cracked. They had been fighting Ichigo in turn, trying to give him more experience in fighting while hollowfied. Lisa was up against him now, and he watched sourly as the girl went flying, her back hitting a rock jutting out of the ground. Ichigo seemed victorious for a moment, until his mask cracked and fell to pieces. Lisa wasn’t about to give up though, and came flying back at him, barely phased from the fall. Ichigo struggled against her, their zanpakuto clashing. Lisa slashed him on the shoulder and pulled back, giving him a second to hollowfy again.

Shinji sighed, the pain in his side subsiding. He was a little worried. There wasn’t much more they could do for Ichigo. Fighting a comrade nearly to the death in a training situation was entirely different from fighting a battle against an enemy with unknown strength. He was sure this kid would play a major part in the upcoming war, but Ichigo needed to learn to control himself better. It would all take time, valuable time they didn’t really have, but there were no other options.

Kensei perched on a rock next to him, both their eyes focused on the fight many feet in front of them. Shinji gave a murmur of discomfort as his ribs finally mended, before sighing with relief.

“You spend the night at Kisuke’s again?” Kensei inquired.

Shinji shrugged. “Yea. So?”

“Are you still surveying him, like we asked? Have you found anything suspicious?”

“He’s not a bad guy, ya know.” Shinji remarked boredly. “If he was up to somethin’, we wouldn’t know it until he was willing to show us, but I think he’s just preparing for the war, like us. He’s always messin’ with somethin’, but it ain’t gonna be a bad thing fer us.”

Kensei looked over at him for a long moment, assessing his comrade. “But you’re not just watching him, are you, Shinji?”

Shinji didn’t tense or shrug or show any outward emotion other than his continued apathy and boredom. “What if I ain’t?”

“We’re about to go into battle, Shinji. Is he going to be a distraction?” Kensei remarked harshly.

“No.” Shinji repled right away, not even having to think about it. “Whatever happens between me and him is personal, and it’s gonna stay that way. We’re all soldiers. Nakama protect each other, but we’re ready fer them to fall, too. Besides, he might just be the one to win this war fer us.”

Kensei breathed a sigh of relief he hadn’t known he was holding it. “Good. Then you can tell Hiyori to piss off and mind her own business, cus she’s driving us all crazy every time you go over there.”

“Yea?” Shinji asked with an amused smile. “What’s she sayin’?”

“That you’re a dickface.”

“Well… She wasn’t exactly my first love.”

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

By the time the day of training was over, Shinji was so glad that he would be getting away from the warehouse for the night. He just needed a break, and truthfully, he couldn’t wait to see Kisuke. He’d developed a serious crush on the man, one that gave him butterflies in his stomach while at the same time made him think of extremely devious, perverted situations he’d love to share with the other man. He had always had little flirtatious feelings toward the man, but things had changed. 

Now he could see himself actually with Kisuke, whether that meant exploring each other sexually or creating a relationship. Only time would tell which path they would take. He’d promised to be someone worthy of Kisuke’s trust, and that he wouldn’t break his heart, and he hoped he could live up to that. Kisuke may have been a little flaky and one to easily scheme against others, but he was still incredibly loyal and friendly, and certainly had a big heart. Those were the attributes he let others see only after knowing him for quite some time.

He walked up to the Shoten with a smile on his face, letting himself inside and immediately heading toward the back living room. His hand reached out to open the door, but heard two voices inside. Listening quietly, he was able to discern that one was Kisuke’s, and the other was definitely male. The voice was almost familiar, even, but he couldn’t place where he’d heard it before. Still, he didn’t think Kisuke would mind him walking in on a small meeting.

When Shinji slid the door open, the sight he saw shocked him. After everything he and Kisuke had talked about, after he had finally pushed all of his doubts aside, it was standing right there in front of him. They were standing right there in front of him. He was standing right there in front of him.

Shinji looked on as two heads turned his way. Kisuke looked over at him, a deep blush on his cheeks and an embarrassed look on his face. He was being held up by his shirt, only inches away from an equally blushing and embarrassed Kurosaki Ichigo. They both just stared at Shinji, dumbfounded.

After a few minutes, Ichigo dropped his hands and pushed back from the shopkeeper, looking at the ground and shuffling his feet. Kisuke looked over at Shinji, the blonde’s jaw still dropped. Suddenly, Shinji’s face changed and he frowned at the pair, a look that made Kisuke’s heart sink.

“I knew it. I fucking knew it this whole time.”

“Its not what it looks like, Shinji…” Kisuke began, holding his hands up defensively.

Shinji backed up in the doorway. “No. It is.”

His eyes shifted over to Ichigo, wishing terrible things upon the boy and glaring at him. He turned back to Kisuke, eyes filling with rage and something a little softer that he wouldn’t admit to out loud.

“Call me when you get your story straight. I ain’t playin’ games with you.”

 

TBC


	7. Restitution

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS IS THE FINAL CHAPTER. It is likely I will not come back to this fic and finish it and for that I apologize. I hope you liked what I have put forth and maybe one day I will get back around to it.

Shinji spent several days sulking and in a bitter mood back at the warehouse. He didn’t join the others in their communal room, and he refused to oversee Ichigo’s training. The last person he wanted to see at the moment was Ichigo. He would have put some serious hurt into the boy. And it bothered him a bit that while Ichigo was still showing up to the warehouse for his training, he hadn’t made any attempt to come and talk to Shinji. Not like a man would… Not that Shinji was acting very maturely either.

He was still fuming and what bothered him the most was that he had to figure out why he was so angry. It wasn’t as if he and Kisuke were an exclusive item, or that he had actually seen anything go on between Ichigo and Kisuke. It was just those looks of guilt the two had displayed when he had walked in on him and the nagging jealousy he harbored. He couldn’t do more than assume that something was going on. 

While he knew that Kisuke had feelings for him that bordered on more than lust, he wouldn’t have been surprised if Kisuke felt something for Ichigo, too. The man had never denied any feelings for Ichigo, only retorting that he had them for Shinji. So as far as Shinji was concerned, Kisuke could have been double-dipping and playing along with both of them. He really didn’t give a shit what Ichigo thought about all of it. He wasn’t going to let some punk kid steal Kisuke from him.

That thought alone put Shinji even deeper into thought. Steal Kisuke from him? That wasn’t exactly the way things could happen, but Shinji was a jealous, territorial person. Once he’d set his sights on Kisuke, he’d mentally marked the man as his own. And in truth, Kisuke had every right to do anything he wanted with any other person because he did not, in fact, belong to Shinji in any way. But from the conversations they had shared, it seemed to Shinji that he wanted to be exclusively together. He thought Kisuke wanted him, and a relationship. 

So where did Ichigo fit into all this?

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Kisuke had been unusually absent from the store front of his shop. He’d locked himself away in one of the rooms on the lower level, tinkering with different experiments he had been working on in hopes of finding some tool they could use against Aizen. While the work on the experiments required the highest levels of concentration and intelligence, this was his therapy. He would think through everything and anything when he was down there, and he certainly had a lot of thinking to do.

He wasn’t sure what to do about Shinji. He knew he had done nothing wrong, but Shinji seemed to have lost trust in him. He hadn’t heard from Shinji for a few days now, nor Ichigo for that matter. It seemed the three of them were at an impasse and for once he wasn’t sure which was the best route to take. He was afraid that if he confronted Shinji, his words would be lost on deaf ears because of the trust the older man no longer held with him.

Again, he came back to the fact that he had done nothing wrong, nothing to warrant this punishment he was putting himself through. And for that matter, neither had Ichigo. But they’d been caught talking about something that had embarrassed them both when they’d been found out. The guilty look wasn’t because he’d done anything against Shinji’s best interests – and he still had those at heart.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ichigo barged into the shop, going through the different rooms until he found Kisuke in one of the back living rooms. He opened the door to find the man standing at the counter, pouring himself a cup of tea.

“Ah, Kurosaki-kun! What a pleasant surprise! To what do I owe the honor of this visit?” Kisuke grinned.

“I need your help.” Ichigo said with a bowed head. “I know you have items in your shop that aren’t exactly legal. I need something to… get rid of the ranting. The damned hollow is always in my head, even when he doesn’t have control! I just need him out of my head for an hour or two!”

Kisuke sipped his tea with a dark look. “You’re a Vizard now, Ichigo. Teaching you to suppress or block out your hollow is something you have to learn through hard work with the other Vizards, but ultimately the responsibility of keeping him in check falls to you. I can’t give you an instant fix, and I don’t have one for you.”

Ichigo stood nearly shaking with anger. He never asked for help from anyone, and the one time he really needed it, the one time it was practically life-altering in its necessity, no one could help him. “They can’t help me with this fast enough. I need it now. The hollow… its going to hurt someone. Its telling me to do terrible things and I can’t block him out. What if I hurt someone? What if someone I care about…” He grabbed his hair, nearly tearing it out. He was at his wits’ end. The hollow had been harassing him inside his head worse than ever now that he’d locked it away to keep it from physically manifesting.

“Is there someone in particular you’re afraid of hurting? Someone he’s telling you to hurt?” Kisuke asked grimly.

Ichigo didn’t really want to give up that information, especially since Kisuke loved to embarrass him and use information against him, but the older man was also very smart and manipulative in a way that could benefit him.

“Ishida. It wants Ishida, and every time I even get near him, the hollow freaks out and starts screaming. Its almost like I can’t control myself around him. He shows me things. Shows me images of Ishida hurt and bleeding. He tells me he’s going to get out and hurt Ishida. I’m afraid of what he wants to do. I’m not afraid that he’s going to cut Ishida up. I’m afraid he’s going to… rape him.”

Ichigo was nearly in tears from how frustrated he was. He was shaking with anger. These secrets were things he had never told anyone, but he was at the end of his rope and he needed help. He could let the hollow torment himself all he wanted, but he couldn’t bear it against Ishida any more.

Kisuke sighed. “Well then, the solution is clear. Until you can gain psychological dominance over your hollow, you simply can no longer see Ishida-kun. Don’t speak to him and don’t go near him, especially not alone.”

“I can’t do that! He’s…” Ichigo shouted, looking angrily up at Kisuke.

“Why not? There’s no other option.”

Ichigo grabbed Kisuke by the front of his robe and shook him, jostling the tea cup out of his hands and shattering it on the floor. Kisuke looking incredibly startled as Ichigo got right in his face, his skin flushed with embarrassment and anger.

“Because I’m in love with him, damnit!”

The door to the back room opened slowly, and Kisuke and Ichigo turned surprised, embarrassed expressions towards the man looking at them.

Shinji stood in the doorway, looking angrily at both of them. Neither of them, especially Ichigo, seemed to understand just why he was so angry. Ichigo dropped his hands and stepped away from Kisuke, looking at the floor, stewing in the embarrassment he felt from the confession he’d just made.

“I knew it. I fucking knew it this whole time.” Shinji growled.

“Its not what it looks like, Shinji…” Kisuke began, holding his hands up defensively.

Shinji backed up in the doorway. “No. It is.”

His eyes shifted over to Ichigo, wishing terrible things upon the boy and glaring at him. He turned back to Kisuke, eyes filling with rage and something a little softer that he wouldn’t admit to out loud.

“Call me when you get your story straight. I ain’t playin’ games with you.”

Kisuke watched in pain as Shinji slammed the door shut and walked out. He stood there for several moments, taking it all in. Shinji had thought he was having an intimate moment with Ichigo, when the truth was far from it. He wasn’t even sure how to begin to explain it all to Shinji. He wasn’t sure where to start, but he could already feel his heart aching at the thought of losing what he and Shinji had come to have.

“What was he talking about?” Ichigo asked, trying to keep the subject off of himself and his own confession, but worried about Kisuke. He’d never seen the man quite like this.

Kisuke sighed and sat down at the kotetsu. “I think it is best that you go home, Kurosaki-kun. You’ve become involved in a love triangle you aren’t even a part of, and you don’t need the weight of my relationship with Shinji on top of your own problems. Go home, sleep, go to your training, and stay away from here for awhile. It’s in your best interest to stay away from me until I can settle things with Shinji.”

Ichigo didn’t know what to say. Somehow, he knew “sorry” would not suffice. He simply left the shoten, now with more on his mind than when he had arrived. He just hoped he wouldn’t run into Shinji on his walk home.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Kisuke decided he couldn’t take the blame any longer. He’d honestly done nothing to Shinji, but he knew the man was hurting from an altercation that had been assessed in the wrong light. He knew he couldn’t expect or even hope that Ichigo would go to Shinji and explain the situation, but it was better that way. Shinji would have had a harder time controlling his anger if Ichigo had been the one to clear the air.

Besides, Kisuke was the one in the center of it all, and he didn’t want to waste time any longer. He’d had feelings for Shinji for many long years, and now that he knew Shinji returned some of that sentiment, and that he was willing to explore what they could have together, he simply could not throw that away over something as stupid as a misunderstanding.

He couldn’t wait for Shinji to cool off any more. It had been four days since Shinji had walked out of his door, and it was time to gather his pride and confront the man on his own turf. He wasn’t going to sit around and hope Shinji would come to him.

Going to the Vizard’s warehouse was something that he hadn’t done for several decades. After he had given his best efforts to de-hollowfy the group and make things as comfortable as he could for them, Kisuke went into a sort of seclusion. They knew where he resided, and vice versa, but they no longer interacted. Kisuke felt guilt for his creation of hogyuku, and the Vizards had to learn to control themselves, and after that, they had to learn to live with themselves and not harbor bitterness or resentment for what they had become. In the instance of soul-changing situations, this wasn’t something they could get over in a few months or years. Decades had passed before they were able to live somewhat normally again. But to souls like Shinji and Kisuke, decades might as well have been a few months in their long lifespan.

It wasn’t hard to break through Hachi’s barrier and enter the warehouse. Kisuke was kind enough to pump out a small amount of his own reitsu to let them know he was arriving. He wasn’t sure what kind of greeting he expected, and was all too prepared to walk into a flip flip to the face or some other kind of bodily harm from Hiyori, but all he got was Kensei standing alone a few feet from the entrance way.

It wasn’t Kensei’s job to look out for Shinji, especially not his personal life. But Shinji was part of their group, perhaps even their leader if they had to put things in that manner, and he couldn’t have a fellow soldier wallowing in self-pity when they could be going into the battlefield any day now. So when Kisuke Urahara drew near, he made sure he was waiting to intercept him.

Kensei crossed his arms over his chest, his constant stern look plastered across his features. “I’m assuming you’re here to talk to him. I don’t know what happened between the two of you, but you of all people should know we can’t have this petty bullshit going on. So either fix it, or end it, because we need Shinji, and we need you, and we’ve gotta work together in this war. Between you, us, and Ichigo, we may have some good luck, but I need soldiers at my side. Not jealous boyfriends.”

Kisuke waved him off with his usual smile and indifferent demeanor. “No one is a jealous boyfriend, Muguruma-san. I’m just here to set things straight and then I’ll leave you all to whatever it is that you do in this secret little facility of yours. It would be helpful for us all, though, if you could occupy Saraguki-chan while I’m here, though.”

Kensei grinned, glad to see that even if it was a façade, Kisuke was putting on a happy face. “Yea I can do that. Shinji’s in his room. You remember the way.” He turned and flash-stepped back to the common room, leaving Kisuke to himself. Kisuke made his way through the warehouse, entering the hallway toward Shinji’s room. He thought back to when he had built this logic-defying warehouse that had more rooms and space than physical dimensions were normally possible. But that was the beauty of science mixed with reishi.

He waited outside Shinji’s room for almost a minute, just allowing the man a little time to know he was there before he knocked, waiting to be let in.

“Yea. Its unlocked.” Shinji called from the other side.

Kisuke opened the door and walked into Shinji’s room, taking a second to take in the aesthetics. It was just as he’d remembered it, sparsely decorated, with not much more than a bed, night stand, and record player. Shinji sat on the edge of the bed, arms crossed over his knees with a sour expression mixed with curiosity and a little of what Kisuke could only anticipate being hope. The fact that Shinji hadn’t already told him to “fuck off” or anything of that nature gave him hope as well.

Closing the door behind him, Kisuke came into the room and sat cross-legged on the floor in front of Shinji. He took a few moments to try and sense Shinji’s emotions through his reitsu, but the older man was keeping himself tightly guarded. With a sigh, Kisuke leaned back, giving Shinji the utmost courtesy by keeping eye contact with him instead of staring off into space in fear or guilt. 

“I’m afraid we had a misunderstanding. But I’m not here to earn your trust back, because there should be no reason for you to have lost faith in me. At the very least, hear me out before you decide if you want to throw me out.”

Kisuke wasn’t surprised that he got absolutely no reaction from Shinji other than a bored look and silence. At the very least, it was better than Shinji telling him off from the get go. Kisuke knew that in order to save his own chances at a relationship, and the friendship they’d shared, that he would have to divulge a secret of Ichigo’s, but he also knew that would benefit the boy. If Shinji knew what Ichigo needed, he could cater his training to those needs.

“Kurosaki-kun… Ichigo… came to me because he wanted an instant fix. He assumed I had some sort of kido or product, I believe, that would silence his hollow, if only for a little while. He’s worried his hollow is going to take control again because it is infatuated with Ishida-kun, who I believe you’ve met. When I suggested that the best course of action would be to simply stay away from Ishida-kun, he became angry with me and grabbed me, which is when you walked in. He wasn’t embarrassed because you had caught him trying to seduce me, or me trying to seduce him. He was embarrassed because he had just confessed that he was in love with Ishida-kun.”

“So ya ain’t tryin’ to fuck Ichigo, then?” Shinji asked clearly.

Kisuke shook his head, offering a small smile. “No. He’s become nakama, but nothing of the intimate sort. The only person I have those sorts of feelings for is you, Shinji.”

Shinji hung his head, chuckling darkly. He wiped his face with his hands, groaning in a mixture of self-pity and relief. He looked back up at Kisuke, a grin curving one side of his lips. “So I got myself all worked up thinkin’ ya were leavin’ me for some sixteen year old when he was just coming out to you? God, I am such an idiot.” He laughed again, truly, because really, it was funny. It was hilarious to him that he’d thought so darkly and pitied himself for so long just because he’d assumed the worst, because he was a selfish brat with a quick temper.

Kisuke returned his smile, assuming that Shinji was no longer upset about the incident. His smile grew as Shinji slipped down to the floor, kneeling in front of him and taking his face in his hands. “Can ya forgive me, Kisuke? I was stupid and afraid I’d lost ya.”

He smoothed his hands through Shinji’s hair, not answering with words, but with action. Kisuke leaned forward and pressed his lips to Shinji’s. When the kiss was returned with hunger, he pulled Shinji closer to him, leaning back against the wall as the older man straddled his hips. The kiss was sinful and pure simultaneously. It was a promise of new beginnings and an appetizer of what was to come.

Shinji tasted so fresh, he had to swipe his tongue against his over and over again, nibbling on his bottom lip, rewarded by a delicious little whimper. There was urgency in the kiss, but it wasn’t an urgency to move things faster, or to get off. It was making up for lost time, reclaiming each other.

Shinji’s hips rocked back and forth, creating wonderful friction between them with insistent motions. He trailed his lips down Kisuke’s neck, nipping the skin harshly along the way. His hands were bold, just as he always was, and quickly made a path down to Kisuke’s stomach, teasingly stroking it.

He spoke against Kisuke’s skin as the younger man’s head rolled back in pleasure. “Let me touch ya. I’ve been thinkin’ about it fer so long. I could kiss ya forever, Kisuke, but it ain’t what I want right now.”

Kisuke’s arms were still around him, his fingers buried in his straight blonde hair and tugging lightly, creating a tingling sensation against his scalp and a growing need in his body. Shinji reached between them and untied his top, flinging it open and immediately shoving a hand into his pants. He grew even more excited when he found that Kisuke was already hot and hard for him. 

He pulled Kisuke’s cock out, slowly stroking it and looking down. It was gorgeous, and his head swam with all the sexual activities he wanted to share with this man. He couldn’t believe he’d waited this long to touch this gorgeous, amazing man.

Kisuke moaned, his eyes bright and full of heat as Shinji stroked him. He was a little selfish, leaning back and closing his eyes as he swallowed tightly, hips gently rolling up into the hand pleasuring him. He’d dreamed about Shinji touching him for decades, ever since that first night when Shinji had come to his squad’s barracks and offered him a piece of advice. Shinji had been beautiful then, and time had been kind to him, not changing his good looks one bit.

But Kisuke couldn’t remain passive. He was just as bold as Shinji in every facet of life. His finger swiped across Shinji’s kiss-swollen bottom lip, letting out a deep breath as Shinji’s tongue licked at it in a lascivious manner. “If you’re going to touch me, Shin-chan, at least allow me the honor of returning the sentiment.” He smiled.

Shinji nodded, and not a moment later, Kisuke was unbuttoning and unzipping his pants, a warm hand delving into the blue boxer briefs and pulling out his prize. Shinji’s cock was just as beautiful as the rest of him, and Kisuke admired it in the grip of his hand before giving it a few testing strokes.

Shinji took control, and Kisuke was happy to let him have that. The older man had never steered him wrong, and he trusted Shinji whole-heartedly with his body. The older blond pressed their hard lengths together and stroked them, sighing in absolute pleasure as his heated flesh touched the other man’s.

Kisuke grabbed Shinji by his biceps, rolling his hips to slide his cock harder into Shinji’s grip. He bit his own lip, moaning a little louder now, and damn it, but he was close. He’d wanted this for far too long to be able to hold on.

“Shinji, I can’t-“ He whimpered.

“Do it. Do it fer me. I wanna see ya, Kisuke.” Shinji murmured his name breathily. Just the obvious effect he was having on the other man by being with him intimately was turning him on tremendously. He wanted to spend hours pleasuring this man, to fuck each other to their bodies’ content, but he knew what he really wanted was much closer to making love. The simple thought of that had Shinji’s hips bucking now as well, sliding his own length against Kisuke’s. 

It was Kisuke who lost it first, unable to hold himself back when everything in his mind, body, and soul were telling him to savor every moment of this experience. “Ahh… Shinji… Sh-Shit…” He moaned lowly, eyes clenching tight as his head leaned back against the wall and his length twitched, spurting all over Shinji’s hand, some cum dribbling on his own stomach.

Shinji was only able to watch Kisuke come and feel a sense of pride and victory before his orgasm was ripped through him and he came as well, adding to the mess on his hand and Kisuke’s stomach. He shuddered hard and fell forward, his head resting against Kisuke’s shoulder as he caught his breath. It may have been mere moments, but it felt like many long minutes had passed by the time he was brought back to the world by kisses across his neck. 

He smiled softly and pulled back, looking down at Kisuke as he wiped his messy hand on the floor. “Kisuke…” He murmured, kissing the other man gently on the lips. “I’ve been wantin’ to do that fer a while now, but I know you’ve wanted it even longer. Let me. Let me show ya what ya’ve been waiting for. You can have me tonight.”

Kisuke smiled back at him, once again burying his hands in Shinji’s thick hair and pulling him down for another kiss. “I’ve been waiting a long time for you. I think I can wait a few more hours. Meet me at my place tonight, and I promise I’ll be there, alone, waiting for only you.”

Shinji turned his head, kissing the younger man’s palm. “I wouldn’t miss it fer this world or the next.”

 

END?


End file.
